Danny Collins has not been named in a Wales squad since 2007

Danny Collins admits ex-Wales boss John Toshack left him "disheartened" but is now eager to make his mark after ending a three-year international exile.

The Stoke City defender is in caretaker manager Brian Flynn's squad for the Euro 2012 qualifiers with Bulgaria on Friday and Switzerland four days later.

Collins, 30, turned his back on Wales in 2007 after a chat with Toshack.

"He asked if I'd been playing and what position when I'd just played 40-odd games in a season," said Collins.

"I just felt disappointed and disheartened so we spoke and I just said I wanted to concentrate on my club football. I was at Sunderland at the time and enjoying my football.

"It's been disappointing sat at home watching the qualifiers, watching the lads playing and wanting to be part of it."

The fall-out with Toshack was not the first for Collins. That was in March 2006 when he felt he was snubbed by being kept on the bench for a friendly with Paraguay.

But now seven-cap Collins is looking forward to a fresh start.

"It feels good to be back," he said. "It's been a long time - three years since my last cap and I'm pleased to be back in the squad.

"It's a clean slate and I'm looking forward to it now."

When Flynn was placed in charge for the games against Bulgaria and Switzerland, he said every Welsh player "has a clean slate".

And after watching Collins play at Stoke recently, he has included him in the 24-man squad.

"I had a chat with Brian last week, he came to see how things lay," Collins added. "He asked me if I'd retired and I said I hadn't.

"He asked if I'd come back and I said, 'Of course I would'. I was delighted he asked me.

"It's great to come back and hopefully be part of the team that qualifies for a major tournament."

But Collins admits qualifying will be tough after losing the opening match 1-0 against Montenegro, which turned out to be Toshack's last game in charge.

"It's good that Brian's been given the chance to see how things go for us in the next couple of games," he said.

"We had a disappointing result out in Montenegro and I think this is perhaps make or break as to whether we're going to qualify in these next two games."

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